Beaver Mines and Steeples, September 28

Monday, September 28 Vicki Ridge [Day 8] 0800-1920 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, and Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1340-1910). The temperature at 0800 was 9C, the high at 1800 was 18C and it was still 16C at 1920. Winds were again W-WSW all day 30-50 gusting to 75 km/h, and cloud cover was 100-90% altostratus that formed a static Chinook Arch and gave gloomy conditions until 1735 when the setting sun dipped below the edge of the arch and bathed the area in brilliant sunshine until the sun dipped behind Kyllo Ridge at 1831. At the Waterton 61 site a total of 54 migrants of 7 species were seen between 0845 and 1729 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 28 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 2j, 22u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 2u), 2a Broad-winged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 6 Red-tailed Hawks (4 calurus: 3 light (2a, 1j) and 1dark adult; and 2a dark harlani), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 1 dark unidentified Buteo and 9 Golden Eagles (8a, 1sa). The highest hourly count was 12 between 1200 and 1300, and only 4 birds were seen after 1600. The Waterton 68 site produced 42 migrants of 5 species between 1343 and 1835 that comprised 26 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 2j, 22u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 3u), 3 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus dark 2a; and 1 indeterminate bird), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 1u unidentified Buteo, 5 Golden Eagles (3a, 1j, 1u) and 1 unidentified eagle. The highest hourly count was 10 between 1400 and 1500. The combined speciescount was 96 birds of 7 species seen between 0845 and 1835 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 54 Sharp-shinned Hawks (6a, 4j, 44u), 7 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1j, 5u), 2a Broad-winged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 9 Red-tailed Hawks (6 calurus: light 3 (2a, 1j), dark 3a; 2a dark harlani; and 1 indeterminate bird ), 4 Rough-legged Hawks (3 light, 1 dark), 2 unidentified Buteos (1dark, 1u), 9 Golden Eagles (11a, 1sa, 1j, 1u) and 1 unidentified eagle. The highest combined site hourly count was 14 between 1400 and 1500. Other birds seen were 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Steller’s Jay, 3 Clark’s Nutcracker, 33 Common Ravens, 3 Mountain Bluebirds, 82 American Robins and 1 Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler.

11.33 hours (98.58) BAEA 3 (26), SSHA 54 (380), COHA 7 (74), BWHA 2 (12), RTHA 9 (115), RLHA 4 (12), UB 2 (6), GOEA 14 (374), UE 1 (2)

Monday, September 28 Mount Lorette [Day 9] 0740-1920 (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Graeme Dunlop). A total of 35 migrant raptors of a season-high 10 species comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1sa, 1j), 1 juvenile Northern Harrier, 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 2u Northern Goshawks, 1 small unidentified Accipiter, 1j light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 3 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2 light (1a, 1j) and 1a intermediate), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 19 Golden Eagles (7a, 2sa, 10u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1u Peregrine Falcon.

11.67 (110.4) BAEA 2 (22), NOHA 1 (8), SSHA 2 (58), COHA 1 (7), NOGO 2 (17), UA 1 (4), BWHA 1 (4), RTHA 3 (16), RLHA 1 (3), UB 1 (2), GOEA 19 (355), PEFA 1 (5) TOTAL 35 (513)

Monday, September 28 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.